The Beginning of The End
by Dino-Scribe
Summary: Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has begun, and his world is spinning upside down. The only girl he ever loved is dating a new kid, Ron and Hermione are ignoring him for each other, and he has no one to look up to anymore. He's being hunted, too. R AND R!
1. The Start of the Sixth Year

"_Don't hurt my baby!" a voice echoed._

"_Time to die," a voice hissed back. There was a flash of green light, and all was silent._

Harry awoke in a cold sweat in his Gryffindor dormitory. These dreams were coming more and more frequently since the death of both Cedric Diggory and Sirius. Harry missed them both truly, but there was nothing he could do to turn back time, not even finding another Time-Turner.

Harry got up out of his bed and went into the bathroom. He splashed water on his greasy face, took a hand-towel from the rung in the wall, and dried his face. "Harry, my boy, what's happening to you?" he said to himself while rubbing his eyes. "You've let yourself go to waste ever since Sirius died. It wasn't your fault. There wasn't anything you could do about it."

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," someone said as they came into the bathroom. Harry looked up to see a professor walk into the bathroom.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry replied.

"Yes, how did you know?" the new professor asked.

"They say the job's cursed. No professor has gone longer than a year for quite some time now," Harry answered.

"I see. Well, Mr. Potter, I am Professor Nocturne, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." The professor reached out his hand to shake Harry's.

"Please, not this early in the morning," Harry grumbled.

"Fine then. I'll see you in class today," Professor Nocturne said. He nodded and walked away.

"This is going to be a long year," Harry said, banging his head in the sink basin.

After changing and eating breakfast, Harry made his way up to the Second Floor for Divination. As he walked, he was met up by Hermione and Ron.

"Harry! Good morning," Hermione said, hugging him. Harry barely managed to hug her back.

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked as he took Hermione's hand. _Wow, I've missed a lot_, Harry thought to himself.

"It's nothing. I just had a bad night last night," Harry replied, staring out the window.

"Nightmares about your mom and dad again? Being killed by Voldermort?" Ron asked.

"Look, I really don't want to talk about it right now," Harry said.

Suddenly, Cho Chang and another boy walked past them, holding hands. "That's it," Harry said. He headed upstairs, the exact opposite direction to Divination.

"What's barking up _his_ tree?" Ron asked.

Harry went to the tallest tower in the castle, which had been abandoned some time ago. He walked up the ladder that led up to it and went inside.

Harry set down his books and stood by a window. "Why me?" he asked himself, even though he knew no reply would come.

"I wouldn't know myself, but I could only guess," Dumbledore's voice replied.

"P-professor Dumbledore, sir! How did you know I was up here?" Harry stuttered, surprised.

"_Relax_, dear boy. Your friends came to me right after you ran off on them. They told me you might be up here. They tell me you come up here often," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, I do come up here a lot. This is the only place I can think. Besides, the view of the lake's beautiful from here." Harry glanced back out the window.

"Indeed it is, my lad," Dumbledore agreed. "Mr. Potter, I must tell you something of great importance."

"What is it, professor?" Harry asked.

"Voldermort my lad, you know he is back?" Dumbledore asked, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Yes professor. But he won't come to Hogwarts, will he?" Harry wondered.

"He won't, but he'll come as close as he can get. And that includes Hogsmeade. So I ask that you not go into Hogsmeade this year." Dumbledore's tone was gravely serious.

"I understand, sir." Harry was disappointed, but he knew that this would only be for his own sake.

"Look out the window," Dumbledore said. "See that bird?"

"I do, sir. But what's it got to do with anything?" Harry asks.

"Watch how he is using twine to build his nest. He's being resourceful and cunning to get what he needs to get done. He finds ways around certain barriers. And, if we each find _our _own way around certain barriers, we're as free as that bird." Dumbledore smiled slightly.

Harry picked up his books and headed back down the ladder. "Thanks, professor."

"You're welcome, my lad!" Dumbledore said. "You're quite welcome."


	2. Arguments with Ron

"Late again, Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall said for the eighth week in a row as Harry came bursting through the doors to Divination.

"Sorry Professor McGonagall, Professor Nocturne kept us late," Harry muttered, sitting down next to Ron.

"Where is your pass? Surely he must have given you a pass if he kept you late," McGonagall replied.

"He doesn't believe in passes," Harry lied. Secretly, he'd been in the kitchen, gulping down butterbeers.

"That is completely ridiculous, Mr. Potter! Every teacher in this school is _supposed _to give out passes to a student that gets out of their class late! You know that, I know that, everyone knows it!" McGonagall's voice was increasing in pitch and loudness. She was getting angry.

Suddenly, the doors burst open, and Neville came flying in. "Sorry, sorry pro...profess...professor...Nocturne...kept...late..." Neville panted.

"Did he give you a pass?" McGonagall asked.

Harry looked back and rolled his eyes. That was the signal. "No, he didn't. He doesn't believe in passes."

Professor McGonagall gave Neville a stern look. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom, come see me after class, please." The class let out an "ooh", and some people even laughed.

"What'd she say?" Ron asked impatiently as Harry stormed out of McGonagall's classroom.

"Nothing that concerns you, Ron," Harry said angrily.

"I just wanted to know, you didn't have to get so uptight on me!" Ron growled.

"Ron, you've got to understand, what's my business is _my business_!" Harry screeched. "Now go off and do something...like spending some time with your girlfriend today!" Harry stormed off angrily as people gave him quizzical looks.

Harry lay awake in bed that night, unable to get any sleep. His eyes were closed, but the drowsiness wasn't coming.

"Harry?" Ron's voice called out to him. "Harry, are you still awake?"

Harry was still mad at Ron, so he decided to ignore his obnoxious friend.

"Harry, I just wanted to tell you...I'm sorry about being so nosy. I just thought, you know, that we were friends, and that you wouldn't mind telling me what happened. But, I know you want your space now-a-days, so I'll give you it." Ron seemed a bit less comfortable than he usually did. "I know you're still getting over all the excitement of last year, but it's time to move on. We don't have time to linger in the past. We've all got to live like birds and soar."

"Hermione told you to tell me that, didn't she?" Harry mumbled.

"Yes, but that's not the point. Harry, what's passed is past. You can't stay there. You've got to deal with whatever's on your plate right now, and that's the only thing that matters. You don't have to listen to what I'm saying, but it's the truth. You aren't like you used to be, and we miss you. G'night, Harry." There was a shuffling of blankets as Ron tucked himself back into bed.

Harry thought these words over for a long time. Maybe Ron was right. Maybe he _was _too caught up in the past, and that wasn't helping him at all. "Soar like a bird, eh?" Harry said to himself. His mind drifted back to what Dumbledore had told him. "_And, if we each find our own way around certain barriers, we're as free as that bird_." Harry suddenly smiled, finally having an idea to get his life back in order.


End file.
